AUTHOR=Shen Jin-Bo , Ma Yuan-Yuan , Niu Qian 

TITLE=A study on the physical aging characteristics of the older people over 70 years old in China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1352894

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2024.1352894

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Aim: In China, With the increase of life expectancy and the decrease of fertility rate, the aging problem has become increasingly prominent, and the physical problems of the older people over 70 years are the key and difficult problems. Method: Based on the interactive logic between the aging problem and the older people health, in the study, a questionnaire survey and a nationwide physical fitness test were carried out on the older people over 70, to divide into different age groups (70-74 years old, 75-79 years old, 80-84 years old, 85 years old and older) and different genders.There were 8400 valid samples, and 1050 persons in each group. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the differences among groups of different ages, and a broken line chart was drawn to discuss the aging characteristics of various physical indexes of the older people over 70 in China. Result:(1) Body morphology: male waist circumference, male waist-to-height ratio and female BMI showed a gradual downward trend with the increase of age;(2) Physiological function: male and female vital capacity showed a decreasing trend with the increase of age, while female pulse pressure showed a gradual upward trend. (3) Physical quality: the indicators of male and female muscle strength, flexibility quality, aerobic endurance and balance showed a downward trend with the increase of age. Conclusion: Vital capacity, flexibility quality, muscle strength, aerobic endurance, balance ability and so on, decreased significantly with the growth of age. 80 years old is the inflection point of the rapid decline of various indicators. Blood pressure, silent pulse, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio and other indicators didn't change regularly with age. Indicators such as blood pressure, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio were in the high-risk range of metabolic diseases and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The study added a series of test data over 70 years old, which is the basis for scientific and reasonable formulation of physical fitness evaluation standards for the older people, and is of great significance for improving the national physical fitness database, providing data support for scientific guidance of physical exercise for the older people.